During a machining or manufacturing process, it may be desirable to adjust the pose of a workpiece and, in order to ensure the accuracy of the process, actively monitor and/or determine the pose of the workpiece as a machine tool of an automated machine performs manufacturing operations on the workpiece. For example, a workpiece such as an aircraft fuselage section may be worked upon in relatively expansive manufacturing facilities by automated machines. Further, aircraft fuselage sections may be required to change poses so that an automated machine within those facilities is able to perform manufacturing operations on the aircraft fuselage sections.
To ensure the machine performing the machining or manufacturing process engages the workpiece in an accurate and precise manner, the pose of the workpiece may be monitored, analyzed, and/or updated throughout the process. Some machines may be configured to only operate within a limited operational envelope. Particularly, the machine may be configured to only engage a first portion and/or zone of a workpiece when the workpiece is disposed in a first pose, as the first portion is the only portion accessible by the machine when the workpiece is positioned in the first pose (i.e., the first portion is the only portion within the operational envelope of the machine when the workpiece is positioned in the first pose). In order for the machine to operate on another portion of the workpiece (e.g., a second portion of the workpiece) differing from the first portion during the machining process, the workpiece must be repositioned with respect to the machine from the first pose to a second pose such that the second portion is accessible by and is disposed within the operational envelope of the machine. Additionally, to ensure the machine accurately and precisely engages a second portion of the workpiece when the workpiece is disposed in the second pose, the second pose must be accurately determined after the workpiece has been moved from the first pose to the second pose. More specifically, the machine must determine the second pose of the workpiece after the machine has repositioned the workpiece from the first pose to the second pose before the machine can accurately engage the second portion of the workpiece.